Space Exploration Initiative
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On July 20, 1989, President of the United States George H. W. Bush announced plans for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI), calling for construction of the Space Station Freedom, sending humans back to the Moon, and ultimately sending astronauts to Mars. He proposed not a 10-year Apollo-style plan, but a long-range continuing commitment based on the three above elements, ending with “a journey into tomorrow – a journey to another planet – a manned mission to Mars.” The President noted it was humanity’s destiny to explore, and America’s destiny to lead. He ended by asking Vice President Dan Quayle to lead the National Space Council in determining what was needed to carry out these missions in terms of money, manpower and technology.
Following this announcement NASA Administrator Richard Truly initiated a study of the options to achieve the President’s goals, headed by Johnson Space Center Director Aaron Cohen.
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[edit] Projects
[edit] Space Station
Construction of Space Station Freedom.
[edit] Lunar Orbiter Missions
The Lunar Orbiter Missions would yield further information on the distribution of high-TiO regolith on the whole Moon, through gamma-ray spectroscopy. The purpose was stated to be to provide a detailed geochemical and mineralogical map of the Moon. Global stereoimaging to aid in site selection was also given as a function of the mission.
[edit] Common Lunar Lander program (CCL)
The CCL program would have consisted of a series of Apollo-type missions, mostly robotic. One mission was entitled Outpost Site Survey and Resource Assessment, involving the use of rovers. The site selected was in Mare Tranquillitatis near 15º N. 22º E.. This point is on the boundary between mare material and the ejecta blanket of the huge (45 km diameter) crater Plinius, on the east margin of a 25-40 km-wide band of material separating the ejecta blanket from highlands to the west.
[edit] First Lunar Outpost program (FLO)
For establishment of the First Lunar Outpost (FLO) two possible sites were mentioned: (1) Mare Smythii, which has an equatorial position straddling the eastern terminator of the nearside of the Moon, and (2) the Aristarchus Plateau at 23º N. 48º W.
[edit] Development
The study estimated SEI’s long-term cost at approximately 500 billion dollars, a truly staggering figure, even spread over 20 to 30 years. Although the Academy largely concurred with the NASA study, White House and Congressional reaction to the NASA plan was hostile, primarily due to the cost estimate. President Bush sought international partners, but the program was thought too expensive even for an international endeavor.
In August 1990 President Bush established a Committee, recommending that NASA should focus on space and Earth science, while transitioning human exploration to a “go-as-you-pay” strategy.
Dan Goldin was brought in as the new NASA Administrator, and during his tenure near-term human exploration beyond Earth orbit was abandoned, and the “faster, better, cheaper” strategy was applied to space science robotic exploration.
The Clinton Administration’s 1996 National Space Policy officially removed human exploration from the national agenda.
